


The Insomniac

by katwritesnormally (akitkatbar)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Human Experimentation, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, dystopian setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 13:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akitkatbar/pseuds/katwritesnormally
Summary: Ruth doesn't like thinking about the future if she continues to not sleep at night.





	The Insomniac

**Author's Note:**

> uhh small thing i worked on in the bus. maybe i'll add more if i'm in the mood. 
> 
> original idea came from a "Your Fantasy Book Title" thing. mine was "The House of Nightmares & Stars"

“Ruth, have you been sleeping much since the last time I saw you?” Elizabeth’s usually soft voice sounded like sandpaper forcefully scrapping at sandpaper. Elizabeth continued when Ruth didn’t respond. “Do we need to admit you again?”

Ruth’s voice was just barely above a whisper, “No.”

“Then I need you to answer clearly: have you been sleeping much since I’ve last seen you?”

“The nightmares…,” Ruth begins, dropping her train of thought with an airy laugh. “No, I have not.”

Elizabeth gave her a blank stare, emotionless, like every trained therapist Ruth has seen. “Very well. What has your mother said about it? Does she know?”

Ruth shook her head, embarrassed. She doesn’t want her mom or dad to know she still isn’t sleeping after the experiments. She doesn’t want to disappoint them anymore.

“Ruth,” Elizabeth sighed, the empty air still in the cold office, “we’ll have to tell your parents, you understand that?” Elizabeth waited for Ruth to acknowledge her statement with a sharp nod. “They’ll have to decide what to do afterwards. Either continue the experiments or…”

“—Put me down. Yeah, it’s not like its a constant reminder in my mind every living day.”

Elizabeth’s face falls, for a second, a blink of Ruth’s eyes later and her therapist’s face is stoic once more. Ruth feels tears well up at the corners of her eyes and tries to ignore their salty stings. 

She doesn’t look at her parents when they walk through the door to decide her fate.


End file.
